Constitution

New Constitution

Old Constitution

New Constitution

Article 1: Society Name and Mandate

1. The name of the society is the “ Society for Digital Humanities / “Société pour l’étude des médias interactifs” (SDH / SEMI), and is affiliated with the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences as organisation 255.

2. The purpose of the society is to draw together humanists throughout the university and college system who are engaged in digital and computer-assisted research, teaching, and creation.

3. The society fosters work in the digital humanities in Canada’s two official languages, and champions interaction between Canada’s anglophone and francophone communities, in all areas reflected by its diverse membership: providing opportunities for publication, presentation, and collaboration; supporting a number of educational venues and international initiatives; acting as an advisory and lobbying force to local, national, and international research and research-funding bodies; working with allied organisations; and beyond.

4. The work of the society is carried out without purpose of gain for any of its members; any revenue which comes to the society is used to promote its objectives.

Article 2: The Executive Committee of the Society

1. The Executive Committee (the Executive) manages the affairs and business of the society and is comprised of the officers of Executive. These officers are: the President (English) and President (French), who make up the Presidency; the Vice-President; the Vice-President (Outreach); the Secretary; and the Treasurer. To carry out the business of the society, the Executive may establish standing committees and, with consensus, appoint further delegates and officers.

1.1 Terms and Conditions of Appointment: Members of the Executive serve three-year terms and are elected by society members by majority vote from among a slate of members-in-good-standing of the society proposed by the Renewal Committee at the society’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). If any member of the Executive is unable to fulfil the terms and conditions of appointment, the Executive may elect that member’s replacement. Conditions of appointment to the Executive include:

• attendance at the annual conference, the AGM, plus related meetings;
• participation in electronic correspondence of the Executive;
• the fulfillment of other duties and responsibilities of each individual position, as outlined below.

Note: To insure continuity within the Executive, the renewal of individual positions will be staggered, following historical precedent and its state at the inception of this Article. (The first Executive served from 1986 to 1989, with the exception of the Secretary and Treasurer, who served until 1990.)

1.2 The Condition of Membership in All Operations of the Society: All those comprising the Executive, and those invited to assume duties associated with the responsibilities of those comprising the Executive (for committees, for work delegated by its officers, and beyond), must be and must remain on record as members-in-good-standing of the society.

2. Responsibilities and Operation : As a body, the Executive is responsible for managing the affairs and business of the society. It

• acts as the basic policy making organ for the society, charged with proposing and implementing policies that forward the society’s mission and mandate.
• establishes and defines the mandate and duration of standing committees, and ensures involvement in those committees that reflects its constituency and its concerns.
• maintains liaison with professional associations in related fields. It is also permitted to enter the society into formal association with other bodies.
• sets or alters the rates of annual fees and, in consultation with annual conference organisers, the conference fees.
• determines the timing of its meetings, and operates only with a quorum of four or more (which may include proxy participation), and approves items with majority vote. It may handle its responsibilities via electronic means or physical assembly, each recorded as part of the minutes at the AGM by the Secretary.
• presents a full report to society members, officer by officer, on its activities and its fulfillment of Executive functions, at the AGM.
• accepts, at the AGM, reports from all committees it appoints.
• seeks input from its advisory group of Past Presidents and Directors of the society.

3. The Presidency is primarily responsible for strategic planning and overall policy issues for the society. Given the society’s mandate to foster digital humanities research in Canada’s two official languages and to champion interaction between Canada’s anglophone and francophone research communities, the Presidency will be comprised of two Presidents: a President (English) and a President (French).

3.1. The Presidency will represent the Executive publicly. The President (English) will be responsible for all communications or queries in English. The President (French) will be responsible for all communications or queries in French.

3.2. The Presidency is responsible for delegating, or taking on, the organization and execution of the society’s annual conference. The selection and supervision of the role of Conference Organizer will fall in alternate years to the President (English) and the President (French). When one President assumes the leadership role in conference organisation, the other will serve as deputy.

3.3. The Presidency will be responsible for external relations with professional associations in related fields, serving as the society’s liaison member at Executive Council meetings of associations with which the society has a formal affiliation. The President (English) will serve as liaison to national and international associations in which the working language is exclusively or predominately English. The President (French) will serve as liaison to national and international associations in which the working language is exclusively or predominately French.

3.4. The Presidency will be responsible for organizing or delegating responsibility for organising society-sponsored paper sessions and streams at the meetings of affiliated organizations such as the Association for Computers and the Humanities (ACH), L’Association des professeurs de français des universités et collèges canadiens (APFUCC), the Modern Language Association (MLA), and others. The President (English) will work with those groups in which the working language is exclusively or predominately English. The President (French) will work with those groups in which the working language is exclusively or predominately French.

3.5. In all the above, the Presidents comprising the Presidency are responsible to each other and to the Executive for coordinating agreement in the direction of internal operations and external relations, in accordance with the society’s mandate.

4. The Vice-President is primarily responsible for operational issues of the society. In that capacity, he or she:

• presides, under the Presidency, at meetings held by the Executive Council.
• presides, under the Presidency, over the AGM of the society, and ensures that all orders and resolutions of the Executive and membership are carried into effect.
• conducts, with the direction of the Presidency, the general and active affairs of the society, overseeing its affairs and continuing operations.
• formulates, with the Presidency, policies and projects for presentation to the Executive and society membership to fulfill the society’s obligations and purposes.
• oversees the work of the society’s committees, and is an ex-officio member of each. [NOTE: The following will be moved to Article 4 of the revised constitution, as that section is revised.] These committees include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Annual Conference Programme Committee: chaired by the Presidency or delegate, the Conference Organiser (as above); responsible for organising the programme and making local arrangements for the annual conference; set at the AGM of the previous year’s conference;
• Website Committee: chaired by the Secretary (as below); responsible for the content and maintenance of the society’s website, ensuring that information is accurate and routinely updated for the benefit of the general membership, and archival backups of the website kept (according to the Secretary’s home institution’s data-archiving practices) for recovery purposes; also responsible for technical infrastructure matters as they relate to the work of the society;
• Newsletter Committee: chaired by the Secretary (as below); responsible for the editing and regular dissemination, via the website and e-mail, of the society’s newsletter; or is responsible for that duty’s delegation to a responsible deputy;
• Publication Committee: responsible for coordinating the publishing efforts of the society, operating with direction provided by the Presidency and the Executive.
• Outreach Committee: an adhoc committee, dedicated to outreach, operating with direction provided by the Presidency and the Executive.
• Renewal Committee: responsible for establishing a list of candidates for activities associated with Executive Renewal.
• Award Committee: responsible for administering the societal Award for Outstanding Achievement, Computing in the Arts and Humanities, acknowledges those who have made a significant contribution to computing in the arts and humanities whether theoretical, applied, or in the area of community building.
• The award is presented annually by the society at the recommendation of the Award Committee. The committee’s decision will be presented to the Presidents of the society no later than the January preceding the conference for the year in which the award will be made. The Award Committee can decide not to recommend anyone for a given year.
• The award committee is comprised of 3 members (or past members) of the society executive, appointed by the executive at the AGM for three year terms in rotation with the possibility of renewal. At least one of the society Presidents will have a seat on this committee and, should each indicate the desire to be involved at the AGM, then the committee will be expanded such that it will be comprised of four members (or past members) of the society executive.
• The committee will accept recommendations and, at times, may issues calls for nominations for the award.
• Those awarded are presented with a plaque and/or framed certificate, signed by members of the award committee. Winners are invited to receive the award and to address the society in a plenary session of the annual conference for the year in which the award is made.

5. The Vice-President (Outreach) is responsible for assisting the Presidency and Vice-President in the performance of their duties. Specifically, the Vice-President (Outreach) works closely with the Vice President in the operational issues of the society, as noted above, and has a mandate for society outreach and integration, working in conjunction with priorities and direction set by the Presidency. In the absence of the Vice-President, the Vice-President (Outreach) will perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Vice-President.

6. The Secretary is responsible for duties related to the maintenance of the membership, the history, and the general correspondence of the society. He or she:

• ensures that a functional membership mechanism exists for the society. This includes processes relating to the collection of membership dues and benefits, membership recruitment, reminders of membership renewal, and the ongoing maintenance of an accurate list of members-in-good-standing of the society and of past members.
• is responsible for assisting the Presidency in setting the agenda for, and taking minutes (including recording the results of voting) at, the society’s AGM and meetings of the Executive.
• is responsible for tracking consultations of the Executive carried out via electronic means, and for making a record of that activity available after those discussions and, in gathered form, in advance of the AGM for the minutes of that meeting.
• chairs the Website Committee, and is responsible for ensuring an ongoing home for the society website.
• chairs the Newsletter Committee.
• is the society’s archivist, responsible for maintaining a record of the society’s scholarly, organizational and financial activities. These are kept in a private area of the society’s website, available solely to members of the Executive via a confidential password.

7. The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining accurate and timely records of all income and expenditures for the society. He or she:

• is responsible for the safekeeping of all documents relating to the fiscal affairs of the society.
• reserves all dues and subscriptions of the society and keeps the funds of the society safely deposited in a chartered bank approved by the Executive.
• on authorization of the Executive, draws cheques against deposited funds.
• prepares the annual budget for the approval of the Executive.
• reports at the AGM on the collection and disbursements of the society.
• delivers copies of his or her financial records of society transactions to the Secretary for archiving, at least once a year, at the AGM.

Article 3: The Board of Directors

1. The Board of Directors acts as an advisory group to the Executive of the society, and is comprised of esteemed members representative of the community served by the society. The Executive issues invitations to Directors, and defines the nature of that body’s consultative role. To carry out the business of the society, the Executive may establish standing committees and, with consensus, appoint further delegates and officers.

Article 4: Committees

1. To carry out the business of the society, the Executive may establish standing committees and, with consensus, appoint further delegates and officers. The Executive establishes and defines the mandate and duration of standing committees, and ensures involvement in those committees that reflects its constituency and its concerns.

2. As per section 2.1.2, all those invited to assume duties associated with the responsibilities of those comprising the Executive (for committees, for work delegated by its officers, and beyond), must be and must remain on record as members-in-good-standing of the society.

3. One Vice-President, at minimum, will serve as member (at least ex-officio) of each committee.

4. The society’s committees include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Annual Conference Programme Committee: chaired by the Presidency or delegate, the Conference Organiser; responsible for organising the programme and making local arrangements for the annual conference; set at the AGM of the previous year’s conference;
• Outreach Committee: chaired by the Vice President (Outreach); dedicated to outreach, operating with direction provided by the Presidency and the Executive.
• Website Committee: chaired by the Secretary; responsible for the content and maintenance of the society’s website, ensuring that information is accurate and routinely updated for the benefit of the general membership, and archival backups of the website kept (according to the Secretary’s home institution’s data-archiving practices) for recovery purposes; also responsible for technical infrastructure matters as they relate to the work of the society;
• Newsletter Committee: chaired by the Secretary; responsible for the editing and regular dissemination, via the website and e-mail, of the society’s newsletter; or is responsible for that duty’s delegation to a responsible deputy;
• Publication Committee: responsible for coordinating the publishing efforts of the society, operating with direction provided by the Presidency and the Executive.
• Renewal Committee: responsible for establishing a list of candidates for activities associated with Executive Renewal.
• Award Committee: responsible for administering the societal Award for Outstanding Achievement, Computing in the Arts and Humanities, acknowledges those who have made a significant contribution to computing in the arts and humanities whether theoretical, applied, or in the area of community building.

Old Constitution

Article I: Objectives

1. The general purpose of the Society shall be to draw together humanists throughout the university system who are engaged in computer-aided research and teaching. The Society shall foster an exchange of information, seek the development of software, and promote the sharing of facilities among institutions of higher learning.

2. The work of the Society shall be carried on without purpose of gain for any of its members. Any revenue which comes to the Society shall be used to promote its objectives.

Article II. The Executive of the Board of Directors

1. The officers of the Society shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.

2. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall serve three-year terms. However, to insure continuity within the Executive, the terms of the first Secretary and Treasurer shall be four years. Subsequent Secretaries and Treasurers shall serve three-year terms. The first Executive, then, shall serve from April, 1986, to April, 1989, with the exception of the Secretary and Treasurer, who shall serve until April, 1990.

3. The Executive is empowered to take the following action:

a. Transact the business of the Society

b. Appoint and delegate responsibilities to committees

c. Maintain liaison with the editor of the Society’s newsletter

d. Determine the time and place of Board of Directors meetings

e. Provide an annual statement of the Society’s finances.

Article III. Membership in the Board of Directors

1. All institutions listed in Appendix A shall be considered full members of the Society.

2. Each member institution will be represented by one person chosen by that institution and referred to as the official representative of the member institution.

3. Each official representative or an alternate shall sit on the Board of Directors and attend meetings of the Board on behalf of the member institution.

4. Members institutions will make an annual contribution to the Society. This contribution should be a financial one, and, if possible, one of donated services.

5. The annual financial contribution will be established annually by the Board of Directors with the advice of the membership.

6. Budgetary inability to meet a single year’s contribution will not automatically necessitate termination of membership.

Article IV: Committees

1. To achieve the objectives of the Society, the following major committees shall be established. Membership in these three committees will be determined by the President of the Society in consultation with the committee chairs.

• Information Services, to exchange information about computer applications in the humanities;
• Educational Services, to foster the use of the c
• Technical Services, to co-ordinate the purchase and use of expensive equipment and computer facilities on a province-wide basis.

2. The Nominating Committee shall present the names of a slate of candidates to the Board members two weeks before the meeting when the term of office of the incumbents is due to expire. The committee shall consist of two members of the Board and the President, ex officio.

Article V: Elections

1. Only members of the Board of Directors may be elected to the Executive or vote in elections of the Executive.

2. The president of the Board shall be elected from the Board members and another person shall serve as representative from the president’s university.

3. Elections shall take place every three years at the Spring meeting of the Board.

4. Election of candidates shall be by simple majority of those attending the Spring meeting of the Board

Article VI: Meetings of the Board of Directors

1. The Board of Directors of the Society shall normally meet twice a year: in Spring and in Fall.

2. Members of the Board shall be given two weeks’ notice of meeting.

3. 30% of the membership of the Board shall constitute Quorum.

4. All business at the meetings shall be settled by a simple majority of those in attendance and voting.

Article VII: Constitutional Changes

1. Any proposed change in the Constitution may be submitted in writing to the President by a member of the Board at least three weeks before the next Board meeting.

2. The proposed change shall be brought up, discussed and voted upon at the next meeting unless a mail ballot to the membership is called for.

3. Ballots shall be returned to the Secretary of the Board within two weeks.

4. Ratification of the change shall require approval of two-thirds of the members of the Board of Directors.

***Amended November 1990.

Constitution

Nouvelle Constitution

Ancienne Constitution

Nouvelle Constitution

Article 1: Nom de la Société et Mandat

À compléter…

Article 2: Comité Exécutif de la Société

À compléter…

Article 3: Table des Directeurs

À compléter…

Article 4: Comités

À compléter…

Ancienne Constitution

Article I: Objectifs

1. Le but général de la Société est de rassembler les humanistes des universités actifs dans l’enseignement et la recherche informatisés. Il appartient à la Société de favoriser l’échange d’information, d’encourager le développement de logiciels et de promouvoir l’accès aux équipements existants au profit des institutions de hautes études.

2. La Société, ainsi que ses membres, ne peuvent poursuivre qu’un but non lucratif. Quels que soient les revenus générés, ils ne seront utilisés que pour promouvoir les objectifs définis.

Article II: L’Exécutif du Bureau de Direction

1. L’exécutif de la Société est formé par le président, le vice-président, le secrétaire et le trésorier.

2. Le président, le vice-président, le secrétaire et le trésorier ont un mandat pour trois ans. Toutefois, afin d’assurer une continuité au sein de l’exécutif, les termes du mandat des premiers secrétaires sont fixés à quatre ans. Ainsi, le premier exécutif sera en fonction d’avril 1986 à avril avril 1989, à l’exception du secrétaire et du trésorier, dont le mandat se terminera en avril 1990.

3. L’exécutif détient les pouvoirs suivants:

a. Gérer les affaires de la Société

b. Nommer des comités et leur déléguer des responsabilités

c. Assurer la liaison avec l’editeur du bulletin de la Société

d. Fixer la date et le lieu des réunions du Bureau de direction

e. Fournir un rapport annuel sur les finances de la Société

Article III: Règles D’Adhésion au Bureau de Direction

1. Toutes les institutions énumérées à l’annexe A sont membres de la Société à part entière.

2. Chaque institution membre est représentée par une personne de son choix, représentante officielle de la dite institution.

3. Chaque représentant officiel ou son suppléant siège au Bureau de direction et assiste aux réunions du Bureau pour l’institution membre qu’il représente.

4. Les institutions membres apportent une contribution annuelle à la Société. Cette dernière est de nature financière d’une part et, si possible, sous forme de service gracieux d’autre part.

5. Le montant de la contribution annuelle sera fixé chaque année par le Bureau de direction en accord avec ses membres.

6. L’incapacité budgétaire de régler la cotisation n’aboutit pas nécessairement à l’annulation du contrat de membre.

Article IV: Comités

1. Pour atteindre les objectifs de la Société, on procédera à l’établissement des comités principaux suivants. L’appartenance à ces trois comités sera fixée par le président de la Société après consultation des présidents des comités.

Services d’information, échange d’information quant aux applications de l’informatique dans les études humaines.
Services éducatifs, promotion de l’utilisation de l’informatique en matière de recherche et d’enseignement dans les études humaines; enfin
Services techniques, coordination en matière d’achat et d’utilisation du matériel de haute qualité et des équipments informatiques à l’échelle provinciale.

2. Le comité chargé de la nomination devra présenter aux membres du Bureau de direction une liste provisoire de candidats deux semaines avant la réunion pour les membres dont le mandat arrive à échéance. Ce comité sera formé de deux membres du Bureau et de son président, ex officio.

Article V: Élections

1. Seul les membres du Bureau de direction peuvent être élus membres de l’exécutif ou prendre part à élection de l’exécutif.

2. Le président est élu parmi les membres du Bureau et une personne issue de son université sera élue en guise de représentant.

3. Les élections auront lieu tous les trois ans lors de la réunion de printemps du Bureau.

4. Les candidats seront élus à la majorité simple par les personnes présentes à la réunion du Bureau.

Article VI: Réunions du Bureau de Direction

1. Le Bureau de direction de la Société se réunira de façon ordinaire deux fois par an: au printemps et à l’automne.

2. Les membres du Bureau seront avisés deux semaines avant la réunion.

3. Le quorum est fixé à 50 % du nombre de membres du Bureau.

4. Lors des réunions, les décisions seront prises à la majorité simple par les présents et votants.

Article VII: Amendements Constitutionnels

1. Toute proposition d’amendement de la constitution peut être soumise par écrit au président par un membre du Bureau au moins trois semaines avant une réunion du Bureau.

2. La proposition d’amendement doit être soumise, examinée et votée lors de la réunion suivante à moins qu’une consultation par écrit ne soit demandée aux membres.

3. Les membres disposent de deux semaines pour renvoyer les bulletins de vote au secrétaire du Bureau.

4. L’approbation de deux tiers des membres du Bureau de direction est nécessaire pour ratifier l’amendement.

***Amendé en Novembres 1990.